We’ve been worm composting for awhile now. I bought a container about 6 months ago from Smith & Hawken but you can get them much cheaper on stopwaste.org here in the east bay.
For worms, I went to Bay Worms at the Berkeley Farmer’s Market on Thursday. Mickey Jergin was happy to help me since I had no clue what I was doing. I bought a big bag of dirt and worms and followed the instructions provided with the bin.
The bin is in the kitchen here at the studio and it doesn’t smell at all. When you are adding food you may experience a deep rich soil odor. It’s pretty amazing.
The bottom of the bin has a spigot that releases the excess water that would go into the soil if you were composting outside. The liquid is rich in nutrients and is fabulous with a shot of vodka. Just kidding. It can be used on your indoor plants or your neighbor’s plants or your outdoor garden…..whatever.
Every few months the bottom layer of the bin is removed and the soil, completely generated by the little ecosystem in the bin, is used outside in the garden. We then replace the layer to the top and the cycle continues.
I can’t believe how easy it was to set up and use. The worms prefer natural foods like vegetables scraps, egg shells, coffee grounds [and filters], and of course the occasional fruit cake. They do not like highly-processed foods, breads, cheeses, or meats. Because of this our diet here in the studio has considerably improved. Bonus. They also like to have a covering over the top of the food and dirt. This keeps it dark and warm. We use paper, cardboard, and compostable food containers. Another bonus.
And yet another bonus is the godlike feeling you get when you are caring for the “world in the bin”. When you open the top and add food the worms recoil in horror [they hate light] and the bugs stop moving or start jumping around. In my head they are experiencing a supernatural experience complete with celestial music. I am their God and they will speak of this moment always. Or maybe not.
